Area:  3,917.1 sq. miles
(Second province in size: 20% of national area)
Population:  264,474 (2000)
Main City:  Liberia
Population Density:  67.5 per square mile
Elevation:  472 feet
Average Temperature:  80.8°F
Annual Rainfall:  59-79 inches

Guanacaste is where you will find some of the most popular beaches and vacation resorts in the country.  Located in the northwest part of the country where the weather is a bit drier, Guanacaste has attracted some of the most prestigious hotels in the world, including The Four Seasons Resort.  Other luxury hotels in the area include:  Paradisus Playa Conchal, Hacienda Pinilla Hotel, Occidental Grand Papagayo and the Barcelo Playa Langosta (all-inclusive).  Besides the incredible surfing and sun bathing, there are a number of other great things to do and see in Guanacaste.

Barra Honda National Park is for serious spelunkers.  It's system of limestone caverns are not easily accessible and can be risky, but those who are appropriately equipped and guided will enjoy descents of up to 180 meters and impressive formations in the 42 explored caves.

Bolanos Island National Wildlife Refuge protects the nesting site of the brown pelican, American oystercatcher, and frigate bird.  A guide can take you by boat to within 50 meters of the island.

Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve, at the very tip of the Nicoya Peninsula, is Costa Rica’s oldest protected area.  Trails lead past waterfalls and down to white sand beaches with tide pools.

Guanacaste National Park has biological stations where you can stay and observe how scientists monitor this huge park which protects the migratory routes of hundreds mammals and birds.  Ostional National Wildlife Refuge was created to protect the nesting beaches of the olive ridley turtle.  These turtles arrive ‘en masse’ periodically during July to December - truly a site to see!

Palo Verde National Park is a bird-watcher's paradise.  Avid birdwatchers flock (pardon the pun) to Costa Rica each year to observe hundreds of different bird species in a concentrated area.  The marshy floodplain of the Tempisque River is home to more than 300 species including the great curassow, white ibis, roseate spoonbill, anhinga, wood stork, jabiru stork, black-crowned night heron and a colony of scarlet macaws.  Above the headwaters of the Tempisque is the Lomas Barbudal Biological Reserve, where several endangered tree species thrive in its tropical dry forests.

Make a nighttime visit to Playa Grande Marine Turtle National Park and see the giant leatherback turtle surf to shore and lay her eggs in the sand.  During the day, it’s your turn to surf Playa Grande’s consistent left and right waves.

To enjoy a mineral mud bath and then a good soak in natural hot springs, visit “grannys hiding place”, better known as:  Rincon de la Vieja National Park.  Located in the North of Costa Rica, Guanacaste Province, the park surrounding the active volcano and its craters is known for its diverse eco-systems, geysers, and a profusion of wildlife and orchids.  This author traveled through the park in a 4x4 when suddenly the normally very shy Jaguar rushed across the path in front of the vehicle, then disappeared into the brush.  The jeep must have startled it from a sound sleep, as these big cats tend to be noctural.

Santa Rosa National Park protects the largest stand of tropical dry forest in Central America.  There are 10 distinct ecological zones including extensive savanna, deciduous and non-deciduous forest.  In addition to abundant wildlife, there are recreational facilities provided at some of the beaches.

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